Teething device



March 11, 1958 J. R. YODER 2,826,201

- mmnmc DEVICE Filed Dec. 18 1956 INVENTOR.

g I i ATTORNE 'tlnited States Patent TEETHING DEVICE John R. Yoder, Fullerton, Pa.

Application December 18, 1956, Serial No. 629,029

1 Claim. (Cl. 128-359) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in aids for the teething of infants, and more particularly to a teething device or ring.

One object of the invention is to provide a new and improved teething device having means for receiving and retaining therein a pellet in the form of a lump of hard candy or confection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved teething device of the type indicated in which the confection is made available to the infant for consumption at a very slow rate.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved teething device adapted to be for-med of molded material of suflicient rigidity to carry out the purposes for which the device is designed and yet of sufiicient resiliency to permit a bite thereon without injury to the gums.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved teething device which has certain structural and functional features of advantage over similar devices of the prior art.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a rubber teething device of the type indicated with a cavity for containing a confection in the form of a pellet of hard candy.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device having novel means for positively holding the confection pellet trapped in its intended location within the cavity of the device.

With these and other objects in view, which will be come readily apparent from the following detailed description of the various unique, practical and illustrative improvements shown in the accompanying drawing, the invention comprises the novel elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts in cooperative relationship, as more particularly indicated and defined by the hereto appended claim.

-In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a teething device constructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of one end of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5--5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 6--6 of Fig. 2, the lump of confection being removed from its cavity within the device;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one form of confection adapted to be used with the device;

Fig. 9 is a plan View of another form of confection adapted to be used with the device; and

Fig. 10 is a section taken along the 'line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

2,826,201 Patented Mar. 11, 1958 ICE Referring to the drawing, the new and improved teething device may comprise a main body in the form of an annular member or ring 11, formed of rubber or similar tough flexible material of suflicient resiliency to permit a bite thereon without injury to the gums.

'Preferably the band of the ring 11 is in the form of a solid body of material having a top exterior surface 12, a bottom exterior surface 13, an outer peripheral side wall 14, and an inner annular side wall 15. As shown in Fig. 4, it will be noted that the band of the ring is somewhat oval in cross section, with the surfaces 12 and 13 flattened and arranged substantially in parallel relation with each other so that the width of the band is greater than the height thereof.

Formed integral with the body of the ring 11 and extending radially therefrom, is a handle member 16 having its top and bottom surfaces formed as a continuation of the surfaces 12 and 13, respectively, of the ring 11, and its outer peripheral wall formed as a continuation of the outer Wall 14 of said ring. While a substantially straight handle member is shown, it will be understood that this portion of the device may take any form or shape desired,

At a point in the band of the ring 11, preferably diae metrically opposite to the junction of the handle 16 with the ring, the body of the ring is formed with a cylindrical enlargement 17, the center of which may be located at the center of the band of the ring, as indicated at 18, Fig. 1.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the cylindrical enlargement 17 may be formed integral with the body of the ring 11 and may have a diameter somewhat greater than the width of the band of the ring. The cylindrical enlargement 17 also has a height somewhat greater than the thickness of the band of the ring so that said cylindrical enlargement presents a body in the ring having an area substantially greater than the cross sectional area of the bandof the ring. Preferably the cylindrical enlargement 17. has substantially flat top and bottom surfaces 19, and an annular exterior wall composed of an outer section 20 and an innersection 21.

The interior of the cylindrical enlargement 17 is hollowed out to form a cavity 22, having a substantially flat upper surface or wall 23, a substantially fiat bottom surface or wall 24, and an arcuate or circular side wall 25.

As shown in Fig. 6, the side wall 25 is formed with diametrically disposed openings 26 and 27. The opening 26 may be greater in area than the area of the opening 27, and the opening 26 pierces the outer section 20 of the cylindrical enlargement 17. On the other hand, the smaller opening 27 pierces the inner section 21 of the cylindrical enlargement 17, so that communication is provided through the cavity 22 from outside of the ring 11 to the interior thereof, and vice versa for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The cavity 22 of the teething device is adapted to contain a lump of confection. In accordance with the present invention, the confection should preferably be any kind of hard sugar candy in the form of a lozenge or pellet, which can be mounted within the cavity 22. Confections of hard sugar candy suitable for use with the teething device are now manufactured in large quantities and can be readily purchased in the open market. One form of confection is shown in Figs. 5 and 8, and is generally indicated by the reference numeral 30. Another form of confection is shown in Figs. 9 and 10, and is generally indicated by the reference numeral 31. The confection 30-comprises a solid body of hard candy in the form of a ring, said candy body having a hole 32 formed centrally therein. The confection 31 comprises an annular solid body in the form of a disk, having oppositely curved arcuate top and bottom surfaces 33 and 3 34, respectively, so that the central portion of the body of the confection is formed with a relatively thin solid wall 35. The construction of the confection 31 is such that depressions are formed centrally atopposite sides of the pellet. The-outerperipheral-side wall ofthe confection may be'arcuate or substantially arcuate in form. The body of the confection preferably should have a thickness corresponding substantially to the depth of the cavity 22, and .an overall diameter corresponding substantially to the diameter of the side wall 25 of said cavity, whereby apiece of confection can be mounted snugly within the cavity. v

Since the teething device is adapted to be constructed of rubber or similar flexible material, a piece of confection can be readily mounted in the cavity 22 by spreading the larger opening 26 apart an amount sufiicient to increase the area of the opening so as to permit the insertion of the piece of confection into the cavity 22. Whereupon when released from the spreading apart action, the rubber material will return toward its normal unflexed condition and firmly gripthe surface of the piece of confection in contact with the adjacent surface of the cavity 22.

When a piece of confection, either in the shape 30 of Fig. 8 or the shape 31 of Fig. 9, is mounted within a.

the cavity 22, the uncovered portions thereof will be exposed through the openings 26 and 27, and due to the Size of the opening 26, a portion of the confection will protrude through said opening, so as to become available to the infant for consumption at a very slow rate. It will be understood that the infants saliva reaches the lump of confection through the opening 26 and that the confection is thereby consumed by being gradaully dissolved.

So that the piece of confection will be retained in its intended position within the cavity 22, while it is being consumed, suitable means are provided in'the pair of bosses 36 and 37, integrally formed on the walls 23 and 24, respectively. These bosses are each formed with an arcuate surface adapted to enter the opening or hole 32 of-the piece of confection 30 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 5 and thereby interlock the confection with the device. The contour of the bosses 36 and 37 is also such that said bosses will bear against the portions 33 and 34, respectively, of the piece of confection 31, to

thereby retain said confection in place within the cavity of the device until it is consumed, as will be understood.

In actual practice it has been found that when the device is in use the infants saliva flows through the cavity from the opening 26 toward the opening 27 and passes out through the latter opening. Consequently, the opening 27 may be somewhat smaller in area than the size of the opening 26, since it functions primarily as a drainage 'hole for the infants saliva. In this way the infants saliva will not accumulate to such an extent within the cavity to choke the infant. Also, when it is desired to clean the device, the Wash water can freely flow through the openings of the cavity 22 and a piece of cloth can also be passed through the cavity 22 to quickly wipe the interior thereof dry.

in order to increase the teething action, a series of relatively small protuberances 40 are formed integrally on the surfaces 12 and 13 of the device. These protuberances should be spaced suitable distances apart around the band of the ring 11 and around the handle member 16, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to pierce the' gums of the infant without injury thereto.

Of course, the teething device improvements specifically shown and described, can be changed and modified in various ways, without departing from the invention herein disclosed and more particularly defined by the hereto appended claim.

Iclaim:

A teething device of the character described comprising a body of resilient material having a cavity formed therein, an opening formed in a wall of the cavity providing a communication to the exterior of said body, a piece of confection mounted within said cavity and having a portion thereof exposed through the opening of saidcavity wall, said confection having a central portion of reduced thickness, and opposed bosses within said cavity and engaging the portion of the confection of reduced thickness for retaining the confection in place within the cavity.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

